Law360's Pro Say - News & Analysis on Law and the Legal Industr‪y‬ Law360 - Legal News & Analysis

In August, Citibank accidentally paid $900 million to creditors of cosmetics giant Revlon, which a federal judge called "one of the biggest blunders in banking history.” Rubbing salt in the wound, the judge also ruled this week that the bank cannot reclaim the bulk of the erroneous payment. This week, the gang breaks down Citi’s embarrassing misstep and its unsuccessful bid to undo it in federal court. Also this week: Jones Day gets hit by a sweeping data breach that has much of BigLaw on guard; and Peloton muscles up against what it says is a “baseless” campaign to assert a trademark dominion over the term “spinning.” Finally, Zoom court misadventures continue to percolate as a California judge raps an attorney for not wearing a tie.

Time briefly stood still this week as the Internet became transfixed by the plight of Texas attorney Rod Ponton, whose face was trapped behind an expressive and panicked cat filter during a court hearing on Zoom. Mere hours later, the light-hearted mishap turned into a parable of contemporary online celebrity as allegations of serious prosecutorial misconduct surfaced against Ponton. This week’s show breaks down the video, its weighty aftermath, and the nature of fleeting digital fame. Also this week: Whole Foods prevails in a discrimination suit over its discipling of workers for wearing Black Lives Matter face masks, an insurer is accused of colluding to block COVID-19 business loss coverage, and advocacy groups sue an L.A. judge for requiring in-person hearings amid the pandemic.

News broke this week that a former New York Mets manager had been accused of repeated sexual misconduct, marking the second time in as many weeks that the team pled ignorance about hiring an alleged harasser. On this week’s show, we’re chatting with Law360 employment beat reporter Amanda Ottaway about how companies can avoid hiring past abusers. Also this week: the latest legal and regulatory fallout from the GameStop stock debacle; an appeals court’s rebuke of a federal judge who exhibited bias in a discrimination case; and a questionable trademark lawsuit against Taylor Swift by a theme park called Evermore.

The whole country is in a tizzy over GameStop — a floundering video game retailer whose stock went through the roof this week because an internet mob wanted to stick it to hedge funds. On this week’s show, we’re breaking it all down: The absurd backstory, the lawsuits that have already been filed, and the possibility of new financial regulations to come. In other news, Law360 reporter Jack Karp joins us to discuss how judges and courthouse workers have struggled to get access to vaccines. Also this week: The notable absence of Chief Justice John Roberts at the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump; and a court filing that would have the United States governed by the rules set out in the Lord of the Rings’ mythology.

Within hours of taking the oath of office on Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed a string of executive actions, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change. On this week’s episode of Pro Say, we’re breaking them all down, before taking a deep dive into how the new administration will impact three key practice areas: environmental law, immigration law, and antitrust law. Finally, we conclude with a Pro Say history lesson on the evolution of the lawyer joke.

A week after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, we’re talking about the consequences that are rapidly unfolding. Dozens of rioters have been charged with federal crimes, BigLaw powerhouses are urging the removal of the President, and tech giants are in court over efforts to fight the misinformation that fueled the attack. Also this week: We sit down with Law360 employment law whiz Anne Cullen to chat about a little-known statute that’s suddenly at play after COVID-fueled mass layoffs; and the election software company Dominion files a high-profile defamation lawsuit against a conservative lawyer who has made “wild” accusations about the 2020 election.